Here's a guest article from Jennifer which gives you some easy, painless, tips to get started learning the French language. These tips can be applied to any language. My son has been using them to learn Japanese, for example. He especially uses the movie tips, of course, watches lots of Anime, and makes good use of the Japanese language TV channels, but he's also doing a fair amount of reading the Japanese comics (manga.)
These tips are especially good for the person who just doesn't like to break out the French texts and study.
Learn to Speak French
The Easy Way
There are a lot of different resources that you can utilize when learning to speak French at home. Learning a new language was not an easy task for me, but these simple tips helped me out a lot with my Spanish language course. I learned to speak Spanish fluently enough to converse, read, and even write simple phrases in Spanish. So, now I am using these tips to help me learn French and they are working wonderfully!
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Tip #1: Watch Movies!
This method is not only simple, it’s fun, and it can really help develop a foundation. Start watching movies in English that have French subtitles. If you can’t find any at your local video store, you can purchase many films online. Reading the subtitles while listening to the words in English helps you to better understand conversational French. Also, once you are starting to really be able to understand French, you can start watching movies, spoken in French, with English subtitles. Try to understand what is being said and use the subtitles only as a guide. This is an excellent way to pick up conversational language without having to visit a foreign country!
[ Some people suggest just skipping the English movie and going straight to French language with the Engish subititles. You can also play video games in French. They're much more interactive than movies and some even have subtitles if you need the extra help. Also, if you have one of the international packages offered by the satellite or Cable TV providers you might be able to find a number of television shows in French. -Greg ]
Tip #2: Use Flash Cards
That’s right, use this simple technique we were all taught in school! You can use flash cards in two different ways. First of all, you can place a card on objects around the house with the French word for that object. This will help you learn the French words for common things around the house. The second thing you can do with flash cards is put common phrases in French on one side of a card and then the English translation on the other side of the card. Then, speak the phrases in French when ever you have the opportunity.
Tip #3: Read Comic Strips and Children’s Books
I know it may sound silly but by using children’s books you avoid advanced and hard to translate words. Take comic strips, or children’s books, that you are familiar with, that have been translated into French and practice reading them. These publications will have simple sentence structure and should be fairly short in length. It is also helpful if you have a copy in English so that if you really get in a bind you can translate. Hopefully though, you will know the story well enough to fill in the blanks when you are unsure of a word or phrase.
Nothing can replace an actual class, or course in speaking French. But, by using these three tips, you can incorporate learning French at home into your everyday life. This will help you pick up the language more naturally and without hours and hours of studying. You can use these techniques in addition to taking a class or by themselves in your spare time. Just remember, the best way to learn anything is through repetition and by incorporating new things into your everyday life! So, have fun and don’t get frustrated. Just keep working and you will get it!
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P.S. These tips can be used to help learn any language! So, don’t limit yourself just to French. Try German, Spanish, Italian, whatever you’re interested in. Also, if you have children around, start using these techniques with them. Children pick up languages very easily, and then you will have partners in your new adventure!
P.P.S.: Really, nothing replaces a nicely organized course to learn any language. Immersion, if possible, helps, but we all know how boring many classes can be. The above tips will really help with the immersion part. Just remove all distractions and have fun. If you want a nifty course that's a lot cheaper than the Pimsleur or Rossetta Stone courses then check out the Rocket French course.
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